Ground working device for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a ground working device for a vehicle, comprising a scraper plate attachable to the vehicle for the purpose of displacing soil, a base plate extending at an angle relative to the scraper plate for the purpose of forming a carrier in a space enclosed by the scraper plate and the base plate, wherein the base plate is displaceable substantially in the plane in which it extends for the purpose of setting the carrying capacity of the carrier. The invention also relates to a vehicle provided with such a device.

It is known to level land surface by means of scraping or grading,wherein use is made of a (scraping or grading) blade. This blade ismoved over the land surface for levelling, wherein it is usuallyattached to a trailer for a tractive vehicle. The surplus soil isscraped loose by the blade and pushed along until a piece of land isreached where there is a shortage of soil. The scraped-away soil is thendeposited there in order to level the land surface.

A drawback of this method is that a great mass of soil has to be pushedforward over great distances by the blade. This takes much fuel andrequires unnecessary effort from the pulling or pushing vehicle. Thepresent invention therefore has for its object to provide an alternativeto the known systems which at least partially obviates the above stateddrawbacks.

The invention provides for this purpose a ground working device for avehicle, comprising a scraper plate attachable to the vehicle for thepurpose of displacing soil, a base plate extending at an angle relativeto the scraper plate for the purpose of forming a carrier in a spaceenclosed by the scraper plate and the base plate, wherein the base plateis displaceable substantially in the plane in which it extends for thepurpose of setting the capacity of the carrier.

The ground working device according to the invention makes it possibleto change the capacity of the base plate for carrying soil duringworking of the ground, and to support soil on the base plate instead ofpushing it forward. When more soil has to be supported, for instancewhen a larger amount of soil has to be displaced to a hole in the land,the base plate can be displaced relative to the scraper plate so thatmore of the base plate protrudes relative to the scraper plate. Thispart of the base plate can support the soil until that part of the landis reached where the soil is necessary. Here the base plate can then bemoved back again, whereby the soil is deposited at the desired locationbecause it is no longer supported by the base plate. The ground workingdevice can for instance be applied on levelling machines, bulldozers,graders, power shovels, and can for instance be mounted on a tractor.The tractor can pull or push the device. The base plate can also consistof different parts which are optionally retractable or extendable andattachable to each other. Retractable base parts provide the advantagethat, when the ground working device is not being used, it can beretracted so that it takes up less space in storage or during transport.

The base plate can touch the scraper plate on an underside of thescraper plate and can be slidable under the scraper plate. When the baseplate and the scraper plate are touching, the amount of soil which canslip through between the base plate and the scraper plate is limited.

In order to form the enclosed space the scraper plate and the base platecan form an obtuse angle with each other. There is then an obtuse anglebetween the scraper plate and the part of the base plate functioning ascarrier. The obtuse angle (i.e. an angle of between 90 and 120 degrees,and in particular between 92 and 110 degrees) makes it possible to carrya relatively large amount of soil. During use the scraper plate liessubstantially perpendicularly of the ground surface for levelling; theupper side of the base plate then makes substantially an angle ofbetween 0 and 20 degrees, and in particular an angle of between 2 and 10degrees. The base plate hereby “catches” on or “hacks” into the surfacefor levelling.

The base plate is for instance displaceable between at least twopositions, wherein in a first position the capacity of the carrier iszero; and in a second position the capacity of the carrier is such thata determined amount of soil can be carried. In the first position thebase plate is displaced such that it is located wholly behind and/orunder the scraper plate. A carrier is hereby not available to carry soiland the device functions as conventional scraper plate. However, whenthe base plate is displaced to the second position, capacity is createdbecause at least a portion of the base plate protrudes relative to thescraper plate.

For the purpose of working the ground with the device according to thepresent invention at least one outer end of the base plate can beconfigured as blade, for instance for dislodging soil. Such a device isfor instance suitable for evening out a piece of land.

The scraper plate can be mountable in height-adjustable manner relativeto the vehicle. The ground working device as a whole can hereby beadjusted in height in order to modify the amount of ground to be worked.This amount can be adjusted even more precisely in combination with thesetting of the base plate. The ground working device is for this purposecoupled to the vehicle by means of for instance one or more hydrauliccylinders. The cylinders can for instance be coupled in a master-slaveconfiguration.

For the purpose of supporting and optionally displacing worked soil thescraper plate can be provided with at least two side walls connected tothe scraper plate and/or the base plate. These side walls can serve tohold the displaced or carried soil on or in front of the ground workingdevice. The side walls can be connected to the scraper plate, but alsoto the movable base plate. They can be formed as fixed side wall, butalso as door or flap, wherein they can be open in order to guide soilsituated outside the surface of the base plate toward the base plate.The side walls can extend further than as well as less far than the baseplate.

In order to reduce the effect of the transition between the scraperplate and the base plate, at least one outer end of the base plate canbe of substantially the same form as the scraper plate. When a portionof the base plate protrudes relative to the scraper plate, the form ofthe means which works the ground in that case remains substantially thesame.

The ground working device according to the present invention can also beprovided with at least one guide for guiding the displaceable baseplate. The guide can also be connected for strengthening purposes to thescraper plate. The guide can for instance consist of a series ofbearings in a rail, wherein the base plate can be guided in the plane inwhich it extends during the movement of the base plate. Displacement canhereby be facilitated and the carrying capacity of the device can beadapted more quickly and smoothly to the circumstances.

In an alternative embodiment the base plate is coupled to the devicewith an alternative mechanical connection, such as with a rod assembly.The base plate can hereby also be guided in the plane in which itextends.

In both stated embodiments it is also possible for the base plate tomake a combination of a sliding and a rotating movement. The anglerelative to the ground surface for levelling can for instance hereby beadjusted, or it is possible to ensure that the base plate does notimpede the working of the ground when it is placed behind the scraperplate.

The guide can also be provided with a rotary element for rotating theguide and the base plate. The rotary element can be configured to changethe orientation of the base plate and the guide relative to the scraperplate. The angle between the ground and the base plate can hereby beadjusted to the conditions. A small angle between the ground and thebase plate will for instance encounter a lower resistance from theground and will have less of a tendency to penetrate into the groundwhen compared to a larger angle. The angle can be adjusted subject tothe soil conditions of the surface for working.

For displacement of the base plate the ground working device can beprovided with a drive such as a motor or hydraulic cylinders.

The invention also relates to a vehicle, such as a tractor, providedwith a ground working device according to the present invention.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the followingnon-limited to figures. Herein:

FIG. 1A shows a ground working device according to the present inventionin a first position;

FIG. 1B shows a ground working device according to the present inventionin a second position;

FIG. 1C shows a ground working device according to the present inventionin a third position between the first and second positions;

FIG. 2A shows a ground working device provided with side walls attachedto the base plate;

FIG. 2B shows a ground working device provided with side walls attachedto the scraper plate;

FIG. 3A shows schematically a translating and rotating movement which abase plate of a ground working device according to the present inventioncan make; and

FIG. 3B shows a side view of a land working device according to thepresent invention configured to make the movement of FIG. 3A.

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C show a ground working device (1) according to thepresent invention. The figure shows a levelling shovel (1) for a vehiclecomprising a scraper plate (2) attachable to the vehicle for displacingsoil; a base plate (3) extending at an angle (a) relative to scraperplate (2) for the purpose of forming a carrier (4) in a space enclosedby scraper plate (2) and base plate (3); wherein base plate (3) isdisplaceable substantially in the plane (A) in which it extends for thepurpose of setting the capacity of carrier (4).

FIG. 1A shows ground working device (1) in a first position in whichbase plate (3) is located in its entirety behind and/or under scraperplate (2). The capacity of the carrier is hereby lost and the workedsoil cannot be supported and carried by the carrier.

FIG. 1B shows ground working device (1) in a second position in which atleast a large part of base plate (3) protrudes relative to scraper plate(2). This provides for a relatively large soil capacity of carrier (4).

FIG. 1C shows ground working device (1) in the third position wherein apart of base plate (3) protrudes relative to scraper plate (2). Thecapacity of carrier (4) in this arrangement lies between the capacity ofthe positions shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 2A shows a ground working device (1) according to the presentinvention provided with side walls (5). The figure shows a levellingshovel (1) for a vehicle, comprising a scraper plate (2) attachable tothe vehicle for the purpose of displacing soil; a displaceable baseplate (3) for forming a carrier (4) in a space enclosed by scraper plate(2) and base plate (3). The space is further enclosed by side walls (5)which are attached to base plate (3). Side walls (5) co-displace withbase plate (3) when it is displaced.

FIG. 2B shows a ground working device (1) according to the presentinvention provided with side walls (5). The figure shows a levellingshovel (1) for a vehicle, comprising a scraper plate (2) attachable tothe vehicle for the purpose of displacing soil; a displaceable baseplate (3) for forming a carrier (4) in a space enclosed by scraper plate(2) and base plate (3). Side walls (5) are attached to scraper plate (2)for a fixed attachment irrespective of the position of base plate (3).This arrangement is advantageous when use is made of a push shovelconstruction, wherein the base plate makes a substantially straightmovement. FIG. 3A shows a schematic side view of a device according tothe present invention wherein the base plate can make a combination of asliding (A) and a rotating movement (B). The angle relative to theground surface for levelling can for instance be hereby adjusted, or itis possible to ensure that the base plate does not impede the working ofthe ground when it is placed behind the scraper plate.

FIG. 3B shows a side view of a device (6) according to the presentinvention suitable for making the movement shown in FIG. 3A. Device (6)comprises for this purpose a guide (7) which extends over asubstantially straight path but which has a curvature at an outer endthereof.

In addition to the shown embodiments many variants of the presentinvention can be envisaged, all of which are deemed to fall within thescope of protection as defined in the following claims.

1. Ground working device for a vehicle, comprising: a scraper plateattachable to the vehicle for the purpose of displacing soil;characterized by a base plate extending at an angle relative to thescraper plate for the purpose of forming a carrier for soil in a spaceenclosed by the scraper plate and the base plate; wherein the base plateis displaceable substantially in the plane in which it extends for thepurpose of setting the carrying capacity of the carrier.
 2. Groundworking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base plate touches anunderside of the scraper plate and is slidable under the scraper plate.3. Ground working device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scraperplate and the base plate form an obtuse angle with each other in orderto form the enclosed space.
 4. Ground working device as claimed in claim1, wherein the base plate is displaceable to a position behind thescraper plate such that the base plate does not extend beyond thescraper plate.
 5. Ground working device as claimed in claim 1, whereinat least one outer end of the base plate is configured as blade for thepurpose of dislodging soil.
 6. Ground working device as claimed in claim1, wherein the scraper plate is mountable in height-adjustable mannerrelative to the vehicle.
 7. Ground working device as claimed in claim 1,provided with at least one side wall connected to the scraper plateand/or the base plate.
 8. Ground working device as claimed in claim 1,wherein at least one outer end of the base plate is of substantially thesame form as the scraper plate.
 9. Ground working device as claimed inclaim 1, provided with at least one guide or a similar construction forthe base plate for the purpose of guiding the displaceable base plate.10. Ground working device as claimed in claim 9, provided with a rotaryelement for rotating the guide and the base plate relative to thescraper plate.
 11. Ground working device as claimed in claim 1, providedwith a drive for displacing the base plate.
 12. Vehicle provided with atleast one ground working device as claimed in claim 1.